Cartons of fibreboard or like sheet material formed with a pouring spout or trough



NOV. 1962 E. B. ROBINSON ETAL 3,064,873

CARTONS 0F FIBREBOARD OR LIKE SHEET MATERIAL FORMED WITH A POURING SPOU'T OR TROUGH Filed Aug. 31, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 F IG. 3 2 x I Q /nvenf0rs Ernes/ Bradbury P0010500 (Sher/es Kenna/h B/opr By l/ve/r altar/lays 3 1 Nov. 20, 1962 E. a. ROBINSON EI'AL 3,054,873

CARTONS 0F FIBREBOARD 0R LIKE SHEET MATERIAL FORMED WITH A POURING SPOU'I' OR mousn Filed Aug. 31, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ernesf Bradbury Rob/77500 Char/es Kenna/h 5/00/ By fhe/r affomeys l Nov. 20, 1962 E. B. ROBINSON EIAL 3,064,873

CARTONS OF FIBREBOARD 0R LIKE SHEET MATERIAL FORMED WITH A POURING SPOUT 0R 'moucu Filed Aug. 31, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 20, 1962 E. B. ROBINSON E'IAL CARTONS 01-" 3,064,873 BREBOARD 0R LIKE SHEET MATERIAL FORMED WITH A POURING SPOUT 0R TROUGH 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 31, 1961 /7 V6/7 10/5 u/y Rob/0500 Char/es Kenna/h 5/00/ 43 By their affomeys Emesf Bmd United States Patent Ofifice 3,064,873 Patented Nov. 20, 1962 3,064,873 CARTONS OF'FIBREBOARD R LIKE SHEET MA- TERIAL FORMED WITH A POURING SPOUT 0R TROUGH Ernest Bradbury Robinson, Ashgate, Chesterfield, and Charles Kenneth Bloor, Hasland, Chesterfield, England, assignors to Robinson & Sons Limited, Chesterfield, England Filed Aug. 31, 1961, Ser. No. 135,274

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 229-i-17) This invention relates to a carton of fibreboard or like sheet material suitable for the packaging of material in theform-of pills, pellets and the like. It is. desirable to provide a carton for such material with a pouring outlet through which the contents of the carton may be discharged and which, if desired, may subsequently be closed to prevent ingress of dirt and other foreign matter into theinterior of the carton. This is particularly so when the carton is used for the packaging of foodstuffs, for example, medicinal pills, small sweets, dried fruits such as currents and raisins, or nuts.

Itris an object of the present invention to provide a carton of fibreboard or like sheet material with a pouring spout or trough movable between an open discharge position and a closed position, the trough or spout being so constructed that it has means to retain it in its closed position, thus preventing accidental escape of the contents.

In a carton, according to the present invention, of fibreboard or like. sheet material, one wall, adjacent one of its edges, is provided with an outlet aperture extending across the full width of the wall and includes a pouring These closure panels 5 and 6, in the erected carton, overlap each other and extend across the full width 7 of an end 8 of the carton. The panels 5 and '6 do not, however, extend along the full length 9 of the carton end 8 and stop short of an end 10"5'0 as to leave an outlet aperture 11.

A base member 12 of the pouring spout 4 is hingedly connected along a fold 1ine13 to a base edge of the aperture 11.. Gusset folded webs 14 are connected along fold lines 15 to the sides of the base member 12 and along fold lines 16 to the side edges of the outlet aperture 11. The gusset folds are; -indicated at 1-7 and may be spout or trough comprising a base member hingeable whereby they are folded inwardly when the pouring spout or troughis in a closed position. The top edge of-the aperture may be extended to provide a tab adaptted to overlie the base member of the pouring spout or trough when it is in its closed position, said tab assisting to retain v the pouring spout or trough in said position, -so preventing accidental opening.

' Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 isa plan view of a carton blank of one embodiment,

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a carton erected from the blank of FIGURE 1, showing a pouring. spout in an open position,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of said carbon showing the pouring spout in a closed position,

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a carton blank of a second embodiment,

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a carton erected from the blank of FIGURE 4, showing a trough in a first stage of formation,

FIGURE 6 is a like view of that of FIGURE 5 showing the trough fully formed, and FIGURE 7 -isaperspective view of said carton showing the trough in its closed position.

In the accompanying drawings-like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the several figures.

Referring to the FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 a carton blank 1 of fibreboard or like sheet material is out along the full lines and scored, to defiine fold lines, along the dotted 65 position, the webs 14 form side walls for the pouring defined by score lines. To assist the webs 14 to fold along the lines 17 slots 18 maybe cut coincident with said fold lines 17. a

' A top edge of the base member 12 is extended to provide a tongue 19 and it should be noted that there is no fold line between said tongue 19 and the base member 12. A tab 20 extends from a top edge 21 of the outlet aperture 11. To assist in bending of the tab 20 out of the plane of the overlapping end closure panels 5 and 6 (see FIGURE 2) score lines 22 are provided coincident with the top edge 21 and extending inwardly from the ends thereof. It should be noted that these score lines 22 do'not extend along the full length of the top edge 21.

The carton blank hereinbefore described is erected into a carton as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 in known manner. In folding the top half of the blank into an end closure adhesive is applied preferably to the top surfaces of the end 'closu're panel 6 and an edge closure I panel 23. The panel 23 andbas'e member 12 are then folded inwardly into the plane of the end 8 of the carton. As the panel 12 is folded in, the webs 14 are also folded inwardly so that they lie under said base member 12. Next'the closure panel 6 is folded over and finally the closure panel 5 is folded over so that it is adhesively secured to the outer surface of 'the panel 6 to which adhesive has been applied. The carton is now in the edected form as shown in FIGURE 3 with the tab 20 overlying the base member 12 and the tongue 19 lying under a marginal portion of the top edge 21 of the outlet aperture 11.

To 'pull'the pouring spout into its open discharge positionit is necessary simply to grip the side edges of the base member 12 defined'by the fold lines 15 and pull outwardly causing the base member 12 to hinge about its fold line 13. Asthe base member is pulled out the tongue 19 tends to bend and slide from under the top edge 21 of the outlet aperture 11 and the tab 20tends to bend outwardly. When the pouring spout 4 is in its fully open spout so that when the contents of the carton are discharged through the outlet 11 there is no spillage of said contents over the sides of the base member 12.

To close the pouring spout and return it to its closed position as shown in FIGURE 3, all that is necessary'is to push the base member up so that it hinges about its fold line 13 and tuck the tongue 19 under the tab 20. When thepouring spout 4-is in its fully closed position the resiliency of thefiberboard or like sheet material causes the tongueto move into its normal position coplanar with the basemember 12 so that it lies behind a marginal portion of the top edge 21 of the aperture 11. Likewise the tab 20 tends to move back into its normal position coplanar with the end closure panel 6, and preventing accidental opening of the spout and consequent leakage of the contents.

It is preferable to provide the tab 20' extending from the top edge 21 of the outlet aperture as said tab assists in retaining said pouring spout in its closed position. It should be noted, however, that this tab is not essential and if desired the tab 20 can be eliminated by a straight cut along line 22 of panel 6.

Referring to FIGURES 4, 5, 6 and 7 the carton blank and carton illustrated therein respectively include trough forming members and trough 40. This trough 40 difiers, in certain respects, from the pouring spout 4 hereinbefore described although it has the common construction of a base member 12 hingedly connected along fold line 13 to the base edge of the aperture 11. Likewise, gusset folded webs 14 are connected along fold lines 15 to the side edges of the base member 12 and along fold lines 16 to the side edges of the outlte aperture 11. ,Furthermore slots 18 are provided coincident with the gusset fold lines 17, which slots not only serve to assist in folding'of the gusset webs 14 but also provide an anchorage for a trough end wall 41.

The trough end wall 41 extends from a fold line 42 defining the top edge or outer end of the trough base member 12. Slide flaps 43 extend from the side edges of the trough end wall 41 and are notched as indicated at 44. Fold lines 45 are formed in the side flaps, which fold lines together with the notches 44 defining locking tabs 46 adapted to engage in the slots 18 to maintain the trough end wall in its erected position upstanding with respect to the trough base member 12. The side flaps 43 initially are joined by bridges of attachment 47 to the ad joining gusset webs 14-v Still referring to FIGURES 4, and 6, it will be seen that, as hereinbefore described with reference tov FIG- URES 1, 2 and 3, tab 30 extends from the top edge 21 of the outlet aperture 11 and a fold line 22 .is made coincident with said top edge 21 to assist in bending of the 'tab 20 out of the plane of the overlapped closure panels 5 and 6 (see FIGURES 5 and 6).

The carton blank of FIGURE 4 is erected into the carton as shown in FIGURE 7 in known manner. In folding the top half of the blank into an end closure adhesive is applied to the top surfaces of the end closure panel 6 and an edge closure panel 23. The. panel 23 and base member 12 are then folded inwardly into the plane of the end 8 of the carton. As the base member 12 is folded in the webs 14 and side flaps 43 are also folded .inwardly, .so that the webs lie under said base member 12 and the side flaps lie under the trough end wall 41 which, at this stage, is co-planar with .said base member. Next the closure panel 6 is folded over and finally the closure panel 5 is folded over so that it is adhesively secured to the top, outer surface of the panel 6. The carton is now in its erected form with the tab 20 overlying the base member 12 and the trough end wall 41 underlying a marginal portion of the top edge 21 of the outlet aperture 11.

To pull the trough into its open position it is simply necessary to grip the side edges of the base member 12 defined by the fold lines 15 and pull outwardly causing the base member 12 to hinge about its fold line 13. As the base member is swung out the trough end wall 41 tends to flex inwardly and slide from under the top edge 21 of the outlet aperture 11 and the tab 20 tends to flex outwardly. The trough is then pulled into its first stage of formation as shown in FIGURE 5 having side walls constituted by the straightened gusset Webs 14. I,

The next step is to close the outer end of the trough by folding up the trough end wall 41 about the fold line 42, the bridges of attachment 47 first being broken. Finally the side flaps 43 are folded against the outer surfaces of the gusset webs 14, and the locking tabs 46 inserted in the slots 18. The trough in this fully formed position is shown in FIGURE 6.

To close the trough and return it to its closed positio as shown in FIGURE 7, the locking tabs 46 are disengaged from the slots 18 and the base member 12 is pushed back into its initial closed position, the trough end wall 41 and side flaps 43 being tucked behind the tab 20 and the gusset webs being folded inwardly.

From the foregoing description it will be appreciated that the carton, according to the present invention, is provided with a pouring spout or trough movable between an open discharge position and a closed position, .said trough being so constructed that it has the means to retain it in its closed position. a

What we claim is:

1. In a carton of fibrous sheet material, an end Wall having an outlet aperture extending across the full width of the end wall and located adjacent one one end thereof,

a base member hingedly connected at'said edge'to th end wall, V

in com'binationwith a dispensing trough,"there beingin the trough a base member, 7 side Walls consisting of gusset-folded webs connected between the edges of the base member and side 7 nected between an open position protruding from the outlet aperture, and v I a closed position closing the outlet aperture, said disfpensing trough comprising a-base member hingedly connected to a base edge of the outlet aperture,

side edges of the base member,

side walls of the base member constituted by gussetfolded webs connected between the side edges of the base .member and side edges of the outlet aperture, and

a trough end wall connected along an outer edge of the base member, said trough end wall having side flaps notched to define locking tabs adapted to engage in slots in the side walls.

3. A carton of fibrous sheet material having an outlet aperture in an end wall, said outlet aperture extending across the full width of said end wall and being located adjacent one end thereof, and including a dispensing trough hingeable between an open position protruding from said outlet aperture and a closed position closing said aperture, said dispensing trough comprising a base member hingeable about a base edge of said outlet aper= ture, side walls constituted by gusset folded webs connected between said edges of said base member and side edges of said outlet aperture, and a trough end wall connected along a fold line to an outer edge of said base member, said trough and wall having side flaps engageable with said trough side walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Powell Mar. 4, 1941 

